Background
The ability to perform XRD scans on a very small sample area is a useful tool for many applications.
Investigation
The two figures below show one such analysis of the fracture line of a TiN rod using the small area attachment on the Ultima IV diffractometer. In order to investigate material property changes along and perpendicular to the fracture line a series of scans can be made.
The next two figures show the XRD scans performed in these regions using the parallel beam geometry and creating controlled, very small (less than 1x1 mm) spot sizes by using a specially designed selection slit. Various XRD patterns obtained from the two studies were then compared to analyze the phase content, crystallite size (grain boundary), amorphous content and preferred orientation of the material along and perpendicular to the fracture line.
